2027 refund chart for 2026 tax returns
Find the week the IRS accepted your e-filed return. Your tax software or the IRS acceptance email gives the date. Dates are estimates based on IRS processing times and assume the season opens about Jan 25, 2027.
| IRS accepts your e-filed return | Direct deposit | Paper check | With EITC or ACTC, direct deposit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25 – Jan 31 | Feb 4 – Feb 21 | Feb 9 – Mar 3 | Mar 2 – Mar 5 |
| Feb 1 – Feb 7 | Feb 11 – Feb 28 | Feb 16 – Mar 10 | Mar 2 – Mar 5 |
| Feb 8 – Feb 14 | Feb 18 – Mar 7 | Feb 23 – Mar 17 | Mar 2 – Mar 7 |
| Feb 15 – Feb 21 | Feb 25 – Mar 14 | Mar 2 – Mar 24 | Mar 2 – Mar 14 |
| Feb 22 – Feb 28 | Mar 4 – Mar 21 | Mar 9 – Mar 31 | Mar 4 – Mar 21 |
| Mar 1 – Mar 7 | Mar 11 – Mar 28 | Mar 16 – Apr 7 | Mar 11 – Mar 28 |
| Mar 8 – Mar 14 | Mar 18 – Apr 4 | Mar 23 – Apr 14 | Mar 18 – Apr 4 |
| Mar 15 – Mar 21 | Mar 25 – Apr 11 | Mar 30 – Apr 21 | Mar 25 – Apr 11 |
| Mar 22 – Mar 28 | Apr 1 – Apr 18 | Apr 6 – Apr 28 | Apr 1 – Apr 18 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | Apr 8 – Apr 25 | Apr 13 – May 5 | Apr 8 – Apr 25 |
| Apr 5 – Apr 11 | Apr 15 – May 2 | Apr 20 – May 12 | Apr 15 – May 2 |
| Apr 12 – Apr 18 | Apr 22 – May 9 | Apr 27 – May 19 | Apr 22 – May 9 |
Paper returns: six to eight weeks or more after the IRS receives them. Returns filed before the season opens are processed from the opening day, so they follow the first row.
What changes your date
- The earned income credit or additional child tax credit. By law these refunds can't be released before mid-February; most arrive by early March. That is the last column.
- Paper check instead of direct deposit. Add about a week for printing and mail.
- Errors and identity checks. A mismatch with your W-2, a math error or an identity verification letter can hold a refund for weeks. Answer IRS letters quickly.
- Debts. Past-due federal tax, child support or some state debts can be taken out of a refund before it is paid.
- Amended returns. Form 1040-X takes 8 to 12 weeks, sometimes longer, and has its own tracker.
Check your refund status
Use the IRS's Where's My Refund tool or the IRS2Go app. You need your Social Security number, filing status and the exact refund amount from your return. It shows three steps: received, approved and sent. For your exact estimate, use our refund date calculator, which also lists every state's tracker.
How big will your refund be?
The new 2025–2028 deductions for overtime, tips, people 65 and older and car loan interest can make refunds larger this season. The tax refund calculator estimates yours.
Common questions
Is there an official IRS refund schedule for 2027? No. The IRS does not publish a refund calendar. It says most e-filed returns with direct deposit are refunded within 21 days of acceptance. The chart on this page applies that rule, and the IRS processing times behind it, to each week of the season.
When does the 2027 tax season start? The IRS usually starts accepting returns in the last week of January and announces the date in early January. This page assumes Jan 25, 2027 until the IRS confirms it. Returns filed earlier through tax software are held and processed from the opening day.
Why is my refund later if I claim the earned income credit or child tax credit? A federal law, the PATH Act, stops the IRS from releasing refunds that include the earned income tax credit or the additional child tax credit before mid-February. Most of those refunds reach bank accounts in the first week of March for people who file early.
How soon does Where's My Refund show my return? About 24 hours after the IRS accepts an e-filed return for the current year, three or four days for a prior-year return, and about four weeks after you mail a paper return. It updates once a day, usually overnight.
How long does a paper return take? Six to eight weeks or more from the day the IRS receives it. E-filing with direct deposit is the fastest way to get a refund.
I filed in 2026. Does this chart apply to me? No. This chart is for 2026 returns filed in 2027. Returns filed in 2026 followed the same 21-day pattern; if yours has not arrived after 21 days, check Where's My Refund on IRS.gov or call the IRS at 800-829-1040.
Updated November 5, 2026. Sources: IRS Where's My Refund guidance and IRS refund timing statements (most e-filed refunds within 21 days; PATH Act timing for EITC and ACTC refunds). The 2027 opening date is an estimate until the IRS announces it.